Motor-vehicle hood



Jan. 26 1926. 1,571,090

0. l. DAWSON MOTOR VEHICLE HOOD Filed Nov. 12, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 TagT (ZaaJe I Dawson INVENTOR WITNESS: g V ATTORNEY Jan. 26 1926.

c. I. DAWSON MOTOR VEHICLE HOOD 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 12,

C'ZaaJeZ paw n INVENTOR ATTORNEY WITNESS:

Patented Jan. 26, 1926.

CLAUDE I. DAWSON, OI ANDERSON, SOUTH CAROLINA.

MOTOR-VEHICLE HOOD.

Application filed November 12, 1924. Serial No. 749,503.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE I. DAwsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Anderson, in the county of Anderson and State of SouthCarolina, have invented new and useful Improvements in Motor-VehicleHoods, of which the following is a specification.

. This invention relates to automobiles, particularly to the body andhood construction thereof, and has for its object the provision of anovel hood which consists of a plurality of sections and which includesa top portion so mounted and arranged as to be capable of swingingupwardly at a point or line adjacent the instrument board whereby togive access not only to the motor and other parts located beneath thehood but also to give access to the space between the dash or bulkheadand the instrument board to facilitate the inspection and repairing ofthe various instruments and wiring mounted on the rear side of theinstrument board. It is well known that the ordinary hood must beremoved entirely to give unobstructed access to the motor and adjacentparts at both sides thereof and it is also well known that the only wayaccess may be had to the space between the dash or bulkhead andinstrument board is from the inside of the car owing to the fact thatthe cowl which covers this space or compartment is not ordinarilyremovable. Hence, it

- becomes a difficult matter to inspect the .in

struments and wiring mounted at the back of the instrument board and thequestion of making any repairs in this location becomes a difiicult one.

It is with the above facts in view that I have designed the presentinvention which contemplates the provision of a hood of suchconstruction and arrangement as to include what is ordinarily consideredthe cow], the hood being movable to uncover the space between theinstrument board and the dash, certain operating means being providedcapable of actuation from the inside of the car for effecting the upwardswinging movement.

Another object is the provision of a hood structure of this characterincluding side members pivotally mounted uponthe frame of the vehicleand further including the top portion which is vertically swingable andwhich has interfitting relation with the side members, the top memberand side members the wiring and instrument located between the dash andisntrument board.

An additional object is the provision of a structure of this characterwhich will involve the use of a less number of parts than are ordinarilyneeded in the formation of ahood;

A still further object is the provision of ahood structure of thischaracter which will be comparatively simple and inexpen-' sive inmanufacture, easy to install, not likely to rattle, which will be neatand attractive in appearance, positive in action, efficient and durablein service, and a general improvement in the art.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the inventionconsists in the ,details of construction to be hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

.Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a motor vehicle equippedwith my hood device,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section therethrough, the hood beingshown closed in full lines and open by dotted lines,

Figure 3 is a front elevation showing the hood lifted,

Figure 4 is a section showing a modifica tion.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the letter A' designates aportion of an automobile mounted upon the usual frame bars B, Crepresents the radiator, D the body, E the dash or bulkhead, and F theinstrument board. 1

In carrying out my invention, I provide a. hood structure which includesa pair of sides 10 suitably hinged as a't211 upon the frame bars B andnormally arranged in substantially upright position though capable ofbeing'swung outwardly toward and possibly into engagement with thelenders G. The hood further includes a top member 12 which is curved inany desired manner or shape and which may be said to be somewhatU-shaped or throughshaped in cross section, and this top member issuitably hinged or pivoted at or near the instrument board F as forinstance by means of an angular bracket device 13 secured to or mountedupon or connected with the underside of the top member 12 and pivotedupon a rod, or the like, indicated at 14 suitably mounted with respectto the instrument board and other parts. The side edges of the topmember 12 are forked, channelled or otherwise grooved as indicated at 15so as to engage straddlingly upon the upper edges of the side members 10and form a tight joint with respect thereto for holding them firmly inupright position. On the underside of the top member 12 at a pointspaced somewhat 1n advance of the pivot 14 is secured an elongatedchannel shaped member 16 adapted to fit snugly upon the upper edge ofthe dash or bulkhead E as clearly shown in Figure 2.

The radiator C is shown as provided with the usual ledge H forsupporting the hood, and the radiator may be held in proper positionwith respect to the dash or bulkhead E by means of the usual stay-rod I.For holding the hood in closed position with the top portion 12 thereofengaging upon the upper edges of the side members 10', I providesecuring or locking means of convenient formation which may comprise anangular bracket member 17 secured upon the underside of the top portion12 in such a position as to clear the ledge II, and this bracket member17 is shown as formed with a hole or opening within which may be engagedthe forward end of a locking rod 19 which is slidable through theinstrument board F and dash E, and through a guide bracket 20 mountedupon the stay-rod I near the forward end thereof. Rearwardly of theinstrument board may be mounted a lock casing 21* through which the rod19 passes and within which is mounted a suitable locking device forholding the rod 19 against longitudinal movement so that the hood willbe kept in locked position. This locking device is not shown in detailand it may be of any desired or preferred type so as to be capable ofoperation by means of a key 22. The rear end of the rod 19 is providedwith a headknob or button 23 which serves as a handle b means of whichit may be pulled to re ease it from engagement with the keeper orbracket 17 on the hood so that the latter may be opened when desired aswill be explained hereinafter.

The bracket member 13 above described may include a downwardly extendingarm 24 terminating in a pedal 25 adapted to be "engaged by the operatorsfoot and pressed forwardly whereby to swing the top portion of the hoodupwardly as shown by dotted lines in Figure 2. It is of course obviousthat the locking device must be in released position so that the rod 19can be retracted from the hole 18 in the bracket 17 before the hood canbe opened. The pedal and arm may be of such shape and the dash so cutand arranged as to permit sufiicient movement to bring the member 12into substantially upright position.

Mounted on the underside of the top,

portion 12 of the hood at a point some what in advance of the dash E aresocket members 26 within which are pivotally or universally mounteddepending rods 27 which are located inwardly of the hood sides 10 andwhich are pivotally connected at 28 with arms 29 mounted on the innersides of the side members 10 so that when the top portion 12 is swungupwardly the side members 10 'will be swung outwardly automatically.

In order that the hood may be held in its open position, I provide asuitable catch device which .may be greatly varied but which mightconsist of a rotatable stem 30 journaled through a supporting hearing 31and having an operating handle 32 at one end and a catch finger 33 atthe other end. Assuming that the pedal 25 has been moved forwardly toopen the hood, it will be apparent that the arm 24 will be in suchposition that when the operator grasps the handle 32 and turns the stem30 the finger 33 thereon will be brought into engagement with a notch 34in the rear edge of the arm 24 for holding the arm in its forwardposition and positively preventing it from returning until the stem 30is again rocked in the opposite direction.

As I do not wish to be limited to the above described arm and pedaloperating means for opening the hood, I have designed an alternativemeans for this purpose.

In Figure 4 I have illustrated a modified form of the device in whichthe hood is provided on its underside with an arm or bracket device 35formed with or carrying a segmental gear 36 with which meshes a worm 37carried by a shaft 38 journaled through a bracket device 39 and equippedwith a crank handle 40. In this form it will be seen that in order toopen the hood it is merely necessary to grasp the handle 40 and rotateit whereupon the rotation of the worm 37 in mesh with the segmental gear36, will operate to swing the arm 35 and consequently the top portion ofthe hood into elevated position, and the sides 10 into their outwardpositions.

edges upon the frame bars From the foregoing description and a study ofthe drawings it will be apparent that I have thus provided a very simplyconstructed andvery advantageous hood device in which the top and sidesmay be simultaneously swung away from the motor in order to permitunobstructed access thereto for the purpose, of making repairs andadjustments. The esesntial feature is that access may be had, from theoutside of the car to the instruments and Wiring between the dash orbulkhead and instrument board. When the device is in its closed positionand locked it is quite obvious that there will be no tendency to rattleas is a drawback in the use of the ordinary type of hood. Furthermore,the hood involves the use of a fewer number of parts than the ordinarytype and possesses the additional advantage of being equipped with meanswhereb it may be positively locked and unauthorized openin prevented.

Whi e I have shown and described the preferred embodiments of theinvention, it should be understood that I reserve the right to make suchchanges in the form, construction and arrangement of parts as will notdepart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoinedclaims; Obviously, the matters of material, size, shape, finish andspecific details as to the mountings, connections and the like aremattors of design or preference and may be varied within wide limits.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. In a motor hood, a pair of side members hingedly mounted at theirlower edges upon the frame bars of the vehicle, a top member hinged atits rear end and having side edges formed for coaction with said sidemembers to hold the latter stationary, arms on said side members, androds pivotally connected with the top member and with said arms.

2. In a motor vehicle hood, a pair of side members hingedly mounted attheir lower of the vehicle, a top member hinged at its rear end andhaving its side edges formed for coaction with said side members to holdthe latter stationary, arms on said side members, and rods pivotallyconnected with the top member and with said arms, and means connectedwith the top member near the hinged end thereof for effecting swinging-movement thereof.

.the' .frame bars of the vehicle,

3. In a motor vehicle hood, a pair of side members hinged at their loweredges upon a top member hinged at its rear end and having its side edgesformed for engagement with said side members for normally holding thelatter' against movement, and foot operated means carried b the topmember whereby it may be positively swung upwardly to release said sidemembers.

4. In a motor vehicle hood, a pair of side members hinged upon the framebars of the vehicle, a top member hinged near its rear end and havingits side edges formed for inter-fitting engagement with said sidemembers for holding the latter normally stationary, means connecting thetop member and the side members for simultaneous movement, and pedalmeans connected with the top member for positively moving the I same.

5. In a motor vehicle hood, apair of side members hingedly mounted uponthe frame bars of the vehicle, a top member hinged near its rear end andhaving side portions coacting with said side members to hold thelatteragainst movement, a pedal member depending from the top member andoperable for effecting upward movement thereof, and means for holdingthe top member in elevated position.

6. In a motor vehicle hood, a pair of side members hingedly mounted uponthe side bars of a vehicle frame, a top member hinged near its rear endand coacting with said side members to form a closure, a pedal dependingfrom the rear portion of said top member and designed to receivepressure for eflecting upward tilting movement.

-7..In a motor vehicle hood, a top member hingedly mounted at its rearend, a pedal member depending'from the top member and positioned toreceive pressure from the operators foot for effecting upward tiltingmovement;

8. In a, motor vehicle hood, a top member hingedly mounted at its rearend, a pedal ture.

CLAUDE I. DAWSON.

In testimony whereof I afli; my signa- 1

